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16 November, 1999The IMF holds a meeting in Romania to raise the awareness of decision-makers to the need to include a social dimension to restructuring and offer hope to workers.
ROMANIA: The International Metalworkers' Federation organised a conference in Bucharest on November 9-10, 1999, dealing with the issue of accompanying social measures for the restructuring of Romania's steel industry. Currently employing around 126,000 workers, this industry accounts for 20% of the country's industrial production and 30% of their exports.
Unlike other metal sectors in Romania, the steel industry is still largely state-owned -- up to 70%-75%. Although there has been much debate between government, employers and the trade unions in recent years with regard to the restructuring of this industry, the authorities still have no specific restructuring strategy, and trade unions are showing increasing concern as they watch the workforce being cutback.
The purpose of this meeting was to raise awareness of the decision-making bodies in Romania to the fact that successful restructuring of the metalworking industry depends to a large extent on the prospects offered to workers affected by the restructuring. The meeting hoped to help create a favourable climate for accompanying social measures as part of a global industrial restructuring programme and a well-targeted industrial policy, as well as identify ways and means to create or strengthen conditions to ensure successful implementation of social measures as part of this process. To this end, it was important to involve the social partners in the establishment and implementation of these measures, give priority to promoting job creation, and determine availability of technical and financial aid from international institutions.
Among the some 40 participants attending the conference were representatives of the Romanian government, the European Union in Romania, World Bank, the Romanian steel employers' association, IMF Romanian affiliates and IMF headquarters, and was the first time that representatives from the IMF affiliates, government and international institutions were meeting around the same table.
Unlike other metal sectors in Romania, the steel industry is still largely state-owned -- up to 70%-75%. Although there has been much debate between government, employers and the trade unions in recent years with regard to the restructuring of this industry, the authorities still have no specific restructuring strategy, and trade unions are showing increasing concern as they watch the workforce being cutback.
The purpose of this meeting was to raise awareness of the decision-making bodies in Romania to the fact that successful restructuring of the metalworking industry depends to a large extent on the prospects offered to workers affected by the restructuring. The meeting hoped to help create a favourable climate for accompanying social measures as part of a global industrial restructuring programme and a well-targeted industrial policy, as well as identify ways and means to create or strengthen conditions to ensure successful implementation of social measures as part of this process. To this end, it was important to involve the social partners in the establishment and implementation of these measures, give priority to promoting job creation, and determine availability of technical and financial aid from international institutions.
Among the some 40 participants attending the conference were representatives of the Romanian government, the European Union in Romania, World Bank, the Romanian steel employers' association, IMF Romanian affiliates and IMF headquarters, and was the first time that representatives from the IMF affiliates, government and international institutions were meeting around the same table.